The Choice
by Cyberdrew
Summary: A young boy who is on the spectrum, who was never supposed to leave home, sets off on a journey to prove himself. Can he succeed in this new version of Kanto, unfamiliar from the one his father told him about?
1. Chapter 1

"Jason? Jason."

The boy blinked and turned to his mother's voice.

"We're here, sweetie."

Jason blinked and snapped his attention to the building that was suddenly on his radar. He flailed his seatbelt off him, not able to escape it fast enough. He dashed out of the car and towards the science center, his mother calling him all the while.

He doesn't know how he could not have noticed when the car stopped. One of his many talents. He could be anywhere, and his mind would wander farther than his feet would take him. It was a common occurrence that would take several tries to ground him back to reality.

He entered through the glass doors and paused at the lobby. He locked eyes with the receptionist and froze in place.

The elder lady smiled at Jason, warmly welcoming him.

"Hello there," she greeted, "Are you ready to pick up your partner?"

Jason just stared at her, a vice grip coiled around his throat.

"Jason," his mother caught up, "Don't run ahead!"

She ushered him along and shadowed his mother through the check in and the facility. They entered a lab, where the Professor in question worked. He turned as they approached.

"Ah," he said, "The both of you are here."

With a smile, and walked up to the mother and her son.

"I'm afraid you are a little late, Mr. Blake," the older man lamented. "One of the Pokémon has already been picked up."

Jason's heart dropped. He wasn't a very expressive boy, but his face contorted into terror and worry.

"Don't worry," his mother tried to soothe him, "Let's go see what's left."

Jason walked briskly over to the table, his mother and the Professor looming behind him.

There were only two left on the table. The orbs with two living creatures within them.

"This one here," the Professor gestured to the leftmost ball, "is Squirtle; a water type. While the other one…"

He moved his hand to the second ball.

"…is the grass type Bulbasaur."

Jason's eyes lit up. He'd been waiting for this moment for _weeks_. Three agonizing weeks, and all the while he sat on a long-made decision. It all culminated here, in this moment.

"I choose this one," he said, reaching out and practically snatching the ball off the table.

"Are you sure, honey?" his mother placed a hand on his shoulder.

Jason nodded.

"Alright then," Professor Oak smiled at him. "Be sure to take care of him, alright?"

Jason nodded and smiled.

"Thanks, Mr. Blue," he spoke at last.

"Jason!"

"I mean," he corrected himself, "Professor."

The older man smiled at him. "You are very welcome."

The ride home was a blur of ecstaticity. His eyes never left the Pokeball, and his smile never wavered. When they walked through the door, Jason was rushed by his brother and sister.

"What'd you get?! What'd you get?!" the six-year-old Minnie bounced in front of him.

"Let me see! Let me see!" the eight-year-old Ethan tried to wrestle the Pokeball out of his older brother's hands.

"Ethan! Minerva!" their father's voice boomed through the living room. "Let Jason in! He'll show you."

The siblings backed off and Jason walked through the room and plopped himself on the couch. The other two crowded in, leaning forward and practically blocking his view of the containment orb. Jason didn't mind the crowding. He was just as excited as they were, if not even more.

With the press of a button, the red and white ball snapped open, and a bright flash of light filled the children's vision.

On the carpet in front of them was a creature with four legs, red eyes, and a vegetative bulb on its back. It blinked and looked up at the children, before smiling and calling out to them.

"Aw… Look at it!" his mother cooed. "Isn't he cute?"

Jason dropped down and immediately set to work on scratching Bulbasaur's head and chin and loving the animal. Everyone else only seemed to look on. Ethan's face scrunched up, unimpressed. Minnie appeared to shrink into the couch cushions. His father's face was unreadable, but Jason wasn't really paying attention to any of them.

"Are you going to give him a name?" Jason's mother wondered.

Jason stopped hugging him to think for a moment.

"How about…" he wondered. Then he took another look at the little green amphibian. "Nah. Bulbasaur is fine."

"Okay…" His mother dismissed. "Doesn't it look cute, honey?"

His father cleared his throat. "You like him, buddy?"

Jason nodded, beaming.

"Well, I'm glad," he verbally decided.

"Charmander is better," Ethan bitterly commented.

Their mother shushed him and sent the two of him off.

It took a little time, but the family got used to Bulbasaur living around them. It participated in every meal, slept at the foot of his bed every night, and he never left the elder boy's side. It was two weeks later, when Jason and his brother and his partner were watching a battle on tv.

"Gengar's got this," Ethan declared, eagerly watching the tournament semi-finalist.

"What do you think buddy?" Jason turned to Bulbasaur. The creature grunted, and Jason nodded. "Yeah, me too. I think Nidorino still has a chance."

As they watched the two animals duke it out, a thought came to mind. More so, a realization. Jason looked down at Bulbasaur, pondering the proposition. He set the animal aside and walked off to find his father. Bulbasaur sat for a moment before hopping down to follow.

He found the man typing away some report on his computer. enthralled in what he was typing. He worked security for some place in the next town over.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?" his father answered, though didn't look away from the screen.

"Am I supposed to leave?"

His father looked up from his work.

"Why would you say that?"

Jason shrugged.

"I'm supposed to... go be in the Pokémon League, right? Or something?"

"Well that's..." his father cleared his throat. "Is... that what you want to do?"

Jason paused, but ended up nodding, not really looking at his dad in the eye.

"Okay, well," he took in a breath, before letting it all out in the next sentence. He smelled like the hamburgers they had for lunch. "Let's talk to your mother when she gets home, okay?"

Jason nodded, and went about his business. The day went by, the family sat for dinner, and the topic never came up. Deep down, Jason knew what would happen if he brought it up again. His parents would entertain the idea, or at least pretend to. The topic would get passed around like a volleyball before being dropped completely.

So Jason came up with an idea. A choice that he decided all on his own. He looked down at his little green buddy, making eye contact with him. He nodded to him like they came to a silent agreement.

It's been fifteen days since Jason got his partner. They'll leave on the sixteenth day. And they'll be on their way to becoming a master.

After their parents retired to their room, and the children to theirs, Jason got up.

He went into the kitchen and started packing a lunch box. He made a PBJ sandwich for the trip, and even took the time to cut the crusts off and into triangles. Hmm… Perhaps he should make two. Its supposed to be a long trip.

Soon, he packed several snacks into the lunch box and set it in the fridge.

He went into his room and rolled up some clothes. His mother has been teaching them how to do their own laundry for some time, now he was using it to maximize the space in his backpack. Shirts, pants, extra socks, extra underwear, all the essentials.

"What are you doing?"

Jason froze and turned to his brother, now awake in his bunk. The clothes were already stashed away in his bag.

"I'm… looking for the game."

That's right, their copy of Mario Party has gone missing for some months now.

"I thought Bobby took it."

Dang it. He forgot. Bobby took it and sorrowfully returned it. Its on the shelf right now.

"Well, I just wanted to double check," Jason coughed. "I'm going to bed now!"

With that, he quickly turned off the lights and hopped into the lower bunk. He twisted in his sheets until he found a comfortable position, and drifted to a light sleep.

His eyes opened and closed. Opened and closed. Opened and closed. Each blink caused a greater passage of time. Each time was closer to his destination.

The alarm read five a.m.

Finally.

He jumped out of bed and got dressed. Hints of the sun peaked through the trees in the window. He opened up his stash of money he's gotten from his last birthday and Christmas and shoveled all of it in his pocket.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way to the door, before stopping and looking at the quadrupedal creature staring at him.

"Right," Jason breathed. "Almost forgot."

He grabbed the Pokeball off his nightstand and, for the first time since he got him, returned Bulbasaur to the ball. It was a gentle red light that overtook the vegetable infused amphibian.

"Just for a little while," he quietly promised, before putting the ball in his pocket; the one opposite from his money.

He walked out the front door before realizing he forgot his lunchbox. He returned to stuff the thing into his bag and ran out the front door with his favorite shoes.

"Have to hurry," he huffed while he ran. "Bus is almost here."

He had never really gotten up this early. Well, that's not entirely true. He was usually the first one up, as his family often teased him for. He had never been _outside_ this early. Today was a day of firsts.

He reached the bus stop without incident, and stood there on the sidewalk until the city bus rolled up and opened its doors.

"Going somewhere, young man?" the driver called out to him.

"Is this the bus to Viridian City?" Jason called over the chugging engine.

"Yes it is," the driver nodded.

With that, Jason took a deep breath and, with one lasting look up the road to his house, stepped on, without another thought to his family.

It wasn't later that he realized that his parents woke up to find the eldest of their three children missing. Along with his money, some of his clothes, and what had become recognized as the family pet.

He had no idea the turmoil he was leaving them to endure.


	2. Chapter 2

The problems began when Jason first stepped off the bus. He looked around and frowned.

This… was not familiar to him.

He had been here once before, on a day where his father took him and his brother to work. Though this wasn't the stop they got off on last time. Or was it? Tried as he might, he couldn't remember. The city was vast, and unfamiliar to him. And as the bus hissed and rolled away behind him, he wondered where he should go.

He turned in a circle, and saw a building with a red roof.

_Look, Jason_, his mother had once told him, _Look for the red rooftops. That's how you know where the hospitals are_. _They're Pokémon Centers_.

"Maybe I can find some directions there," he told himself.

Inside the building was a large lobby and a long desk at the other end. Nurses were tending to people there, returning Pokémon to their owners, or informing them on behaviors.

One nurse made eye contact with Jason, freezing him in place. The young woman looked at him skeptically, perhaps wondering what the story was. Jason managed to tear away his gaze from the lady and scan the room.

There, over in the far corner of the lobby. A map! That's exactly what he needs!

Jason hurry-walked over to the board. The maps showed the whole region on one side, and the town map on the other.

Okay… so the road to the Pokémon League is… there. Okay… What street was he on again? Wait, red building. He's on this street. Oh. Awesome. Okay. It's just that easy.

"Excuse me."

Jason jumped and turned around. The nurse he made eye contact with had stepped out from behind the desk and appeared behind him.

"Are you okay, honey?" she asked sweetly. "You're not lost, are you?"

Jason just stared at her. The creases in her forehead and the growing space between her eyebrows suggested worry. Her eyes were wide and caring. She was young, but Jason couldn't tell how young. Definitely older than he is.

Jason coughed and shook his head.

"Okay…" she seemed unconvinced. "Do you need help with anything? Do you need me to call someone?"

Jason's shoulders seized up and he shook his head even harder.

"Okay, well," the nurse relented reluctantly. "You'll tell one of us if you need help, right?"

She lightly gestured to the desk nearby. Jason nodded and betrayed a little smile to her.

He checked the map again, mentally noting the turns and roads, before turning to leave. He walked around the nurse, who continued to watch him skeptically. Before he reached the door, he turned to the nurse one last time, who nervously waved goodbye, which he reciprocated.

He strode through the city, bag strap in his grip and taking the sights in. He took the memorized route, all the way to the road that lead into a forest. His route wound itself around trees, almost like the forest was trying to hide and fortify Jason's destination even further than it already had.

He took a step forward. This is the route to the Pokémon League!

"I wouldn't, if I were you."

Jason jumped and spun around. What is with people sneaking up him today?!

The other boy walked up to him and wore a permanent scowl on his face. He had his jeans tucked into his hiking boots. He wore a jacket, and a camper's backpack.

"They don't let in tourists," he continued to warn Jason.

Jason blinked, confused. First off, he wasn't a tourist. He's from the next town over.

"You dumb, or something?" the kid looked him up and down.

"Wait-a-minute," he apparently realized. "You're that special-ed freak. Jason, right?"

Jason looked down and cough.

The kid laughed, bitterly.

"I guess they'll give _anybody_ a starting partner, huh?" he chuckled. "Let me guess who it is. Squirtle, right?

Jason didn't answer, didn't budge.

"No… Bulbasaur," he guessed. Jason flinched, trying to tuck his head further away from his words.

"I knew it!" the kid threw his head back and stepped away to laugh. "The retard picks the grass type, what a surprise! Aw man, for a second there, I thought I had an actual rival!"

Jason shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"…Why?"

"Huh?" the kid shaped up quick enough.

"Why don't they let tourists in?" Jason worded slowly. It was a drain on his energy.

The boy rolled his eyes. "They wouldn't let a retard like you in anyway," he answered, "And you need badges to get in. Eight of them."

"…Okay."

Jason walked forward, back the way he came. The kid had to scramble out of his way. He walked as fast as he could back to the Pokémon Center, feeling disheartened. His head hung low, staring at the sidewalk as he went along his way.

His stomach growled. What time was it? He pulled out his phone and realized he never turned it on. He found a bench on the sidewalk and sat down, resting his feet.

The phone blipped to life and immediately started ringing. Jason panicked as he realized it was his mother, he carefully hit the red button and checked the recent updates on its home screen. His face paled as he saw the number of calls he had from both his parents.

He quickly turned the phone back off and pocketed it. So, uh, it's time for lunch, for him and his partner.

He set his bag down in front of him and pulled out a bowl and a canister of pokéfood. The cylinder was half empty; he would need to get some more soon.

He filled the bowl and took out his pokéball. Bulbasaur had been cooped up in there all day.

He let the little guy out in a flash of light, and his little buddy blinked at the light of the town around him.

"Hey, buddy," Jason greeted. "Time to eat."

Bulbasaur happily dug in, not at all complaining. Jason pulled out his own lunch, leisurely eating his sandwich and some snacks. He'd much rather have it on a table, but this was the sort of thing you sign up for when becoming a Pokémon Trainer. You become a hobo who fights for money.

He chewed his food thoroughly before swallowing, though he couldn't enjoy it as much as he usually would. Those words rang loudly in his head. He knew he was different, from other kids, from everyone. Sometimes he felt like the smartest person in the room; and a minute later he would say something that made him feel like the dumbest kid in the world.

Jason shook off the thoughts. No school! Only adventure! It's you and Bulbasaur against the world! Nothing can ruin this for you!

He decidedly shoved whatever was left of his lunch and zipped up his bag.

"Come on, Bulbasaur!" he patted his partner and stood. "I know there's a gym in this town, and we're getting a badge! The first of many!"

The little green monster looked back up at him and licked his chops, satisfied.

They took a few steps away before coming face to face with a police officer. She looked down at him with a friendly air of concern.

"Hey there," she greeted with a friendly wave. "Are you lost, bud?"

Jason couldn't help but notice the secondary officer watching from a few feet away, half standing out of his car. He was watching Jason skeptically.

Jason felt his eye twitch. So many conversations in one day… This was getting tiring. Wait, maybe they can tell him what he needs to know!

"Um…" Jason stuttered, trying to collect the words from his thoughts. "Where's the gym?"

The officer raised an eyebrow.

"Is that where your dad is? Is he working out at the gym?"

Working out? What is she-?

Jason blinked, then furrowed his brow in irritation.

"The Pokémon Gym," he clarified.

"Oh," the officer cleared her throat. "It's actually right around that corner. Are you sure you don't need any-?"

"No."

Jason walked around her, with Bulbasaur trotting behind him on his heels.

They approached and entered the building in question. Jason didn't even have the time to contemplate how intimidating it was. He wanted to get this done. He _needed_ to get this done.

He walked into the lobby and approached the front desk. His mind in a single tracked haze.

"Here to challenge the Gym Leader?"

Jason nodded.

"Okay," the receptionist smiled. For the life of him, Jason couldn't absorb his features. "She should still be here. I'll just let her know and… There! You're good to go. Just go through those doors and wait for her there."

Jason obeyed, and walked into the massive arena. This was it. This is the first step to a grander scheme.

He was meant to be here.


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh, hi there!" the girl called from across the room, starling Jason. "You here for the gym battle?"

Jason blinked a couple of times. He had been admiring the area, such a big stage for him to take. His partner was sniffing and investigating a particular rock.

"Yeah," Jason answered back.

"How many badges do you have?" the girl walked over to a table nonchalantly. She kicked her feet out in front of her while swinging her arms as she walked. Her massive hair was pulled into a ponytail in the back. Her shoes were once white, but are now coated in dirt. Her thin sports jacket was short sleeved, and had some kind of logo on the back. And, lastly, she wore a lanyard around her neck, a laminated card flopping around with her movements. The lights above kept reflecting in the plastic, so Jason couldn't find the timing to read it.

The table opened to show a rack of Pokéballs. She half turned to Jason, waiting for his answer.

"Uh…" Jason stuttered. "This is my…"

"This is your first time?" The girl guessed.

Jason nodded.

"What's your name, stranger?" She unashamedly asked.

"Ja…" Jason took a breath, before raising his voice and answering. "Jason!"

The girl smiled.

"Well, Jason," she answered, "I'm Josie. My grandfather inherited this gym from some… other guy; I don't know." She shrugged. "But he decided he wanted to be a Pokémon Professor, like _his_ grandfather. Now the gym is in my care, and we specialize in Ground type Pokémon."

Jason nodded. Okay, this should be easy.

"Okay!" Josie called out excitedly, "The battle begins… Now!"

She took a ball from her belt and flung it into the air.

"Go get 'em, Diglett!"

The flash of light revealed the tiny mole creature cropping up out of the ground. Meanwhile, his own partner looked to him for permission, a determined look in his eyes.

Right. Jason knew how to do this! He'd seen it done a hundred times.

"Go! Bulbasaur!"

The grass type leapt into the fray, ready for battle.

"Use Tackle!"

"Dig, quickly!"

Both commands were issued simultaneously. Both partners obeyed, though Bulbasaur was just a little too slow. The mole had ducked its head underground, and Bulbasaur soared over the spot he was just at.

Jason blinked. Right. Diglett may be weak to grass and water types, but its signature move was attacking enemies underground. How could he forget?

"Don't give up just yet!" Josie called over to him. "Think it through!"

Jason blinked at her, wondering why she was giving advice to her opponent. Is it really that flipping obvious?!

"Bulbasaur," he ordered, "Use…"

Crap, what moves did he know, again? There was Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip… Was there anything else?

He hesitated too long, and he watched as the mole creature made a warpath at his friend. He could watch its trail raise up the top soil of dirt in the arena.

It nailed Bulbasaur in the head, sending it skidding back towards Jason.

"Buddy!" Jason called out, "Are you okay?"

He wobbled from side to side, but shook his head to clear it. This fight is not going well.

Wait, now's his chance! It's above ground!

"Vine Whip, now!"

Bulbasaur lashed out with two plantlike vines sprouting from its bulb. They cracked over Diglett's head as he ducked underground again.

It popped up over at their left, giggling before disappearing again. It popped up on the right, before retreating.

Jason watched the animal in confusion. It was faster than he thought. He watched the ground, studying its topography.

"…Buddy," he called his partner, "I want you ready to use Vine Whip _before_ he pops up, okay?" The hybrid nodded in agreement. "Okay. I want you to use it…"

He watched carefully, looking for the clues. Finally, he saw the slight shifts he was looking for.

"Right there!" he pointed straight ahead.

Bulbasaur lashed out at empty air, only for the crack to connect with a very surprised Diglett. It cried out in pain, before lurching over the side of it whole, defeated. Red light claimed it, as it was returned to its pokéball.

Jason was grinning from ear to ear. He can't believe he just did that!

"Alright!" he cheered, "Way to go, Bulbasaur!"

The little amphibian hopped up in their shared excitement.

"Hold on, now," Josie called both of their attention over to her, juggling a second ball with one hand. She had a smug expression. "Fight's not over, yet."

Jason turned to Bulbasaur. This is there first fight…ever. And he doesn't really count the time they collectively chased a Ratatta out of the house last week. Could his little green buddy keep up the fight?

Bulbasaur nodded, wordlessly reassuring him. Jason nodded back and sent him back out towards the center of the field.

Josie threw the other ball, the white light revealing their newest opponent. This one had a tan hide, and a small tail. It stood on two legs, and wore what was unmistakably a skull over its head, and a piece of bone in its mitten paw.

"A cubone," Jason labelled, fascinated with the animal.

"Use Headbutt!" Josie called out.

The little macabre creature leapt into the air, arcing towards Bulbasaur. Luckily, Jason's partner was able to anticipate the landing and jump back out of the way. Cubone's… outer skull cracked the flooring where he landed, and he looked up at the two of them more annoyed than hurt.

"Hit him with Vine Whip!"

The vines lashed out again, but the little target spun its little club, knocking them aside.

"That move is called Bone Club," Josie explained from afar. "And now he's going to use Sand Attack!"

Cubone lunged forward, swiping its club at the ground, and splashing dirt into Bulbasaur's face.

It spit and hacked and blinked tears in its eyes. Jason stepped forward to help, on instinct, but stopped himself.

Trainer interference is strictly prohibited. Those were the rules in the League. They wouldn't (or _shouldn't_) be any different here.

Right. Strategy. What do next? Think, dummy.

Jason's eyes lit up, as he remembered that _other_ move that his partner had.

"Bulbasaur! Growl!" he first commanded.

The animal snarled with their opponent hesitating only slightly, before countering with another Bone Club. Though, this seem less effective this time around.

"Now," Jason continued, "Use Leech Seed!"

Bulbasaur blinked away tears but managed to fire something off from the bulb in its back. It flew in an arc and stuck harmlessly to Cubone's arm. The seed cracked open, and a small web of vines wrapped itself tightly around the creature's limb; not restricting movement, but potentially worrisome, nonetheless.

Josie watched with bemusement and ordered for another attack.

"Use Tackle!" Jason countered.

Soon enough, the desired effects took hold. Cubone's aura flashed red, and Bulbasaur's flashed green. Whatever energies were at play, Bulbasaur was being restored little by little, and chipping away at Cubone's health simultaneously.

"Time to wrap this up," Jason sighed. "Vine Whip!"

Vines reached out and clapped at Cubone's sides. It staggered, but still stood. The flash of red and green passed by again, and Cubone stumbled forward. It tried to regain its balance but fell back. The seed and vines shriveled up and disintegrated.

As Jason looked on, the skull-clad animal disappeared in a consuming red light. Josie put the Pokéball away before stepping forward.

"Congratulations," she happily declared. "You have won the Earth Badge. Well done."

She handed him the shining pin. Jason looked at the piece of metal with great intrigue.

Elation rushed through his system. He jumped and punched the air with excitement.

"You did it, buddy!" he declared, scooping up Bulbasaur after it had finished rubbing his eyes. "We got the first badge!"

The first of many. One down, seven to-

"Jason-William-Blake!"

The shrill voice assaulted his ears and echoed around the chamber. He turned in huddled fear as he realized his parents had found him. He pocketed the badge and replaced it with the red and white orb, attempting to hide away his partner. By the time Bulbasaur disappeared, the ball was snatched away by his father's massive hand.

"Hey!" Jason protested. His voice died as he looked the man in the eye. His face was beyond anger, beyond fury.

"We're leaving," he told his son. "Now."

Jason was dragged out of the room, looking back at the gym leader, who only looked back at him with pity.

The next three days was hell on his ears. Parents expressing anger, which evolved to disappointment, which finally turned to concern. That was the worst, as he verbally and physically locked himself away in his room.

Back to being alone.

Back to being different.

Back to that age-old question.

"What's wrong with me?"

There was a knock on his door before creaking open. His mother's voice violated his ears with a false sense of sweetness. At least, in Jason's mind it did.

"Jason, sweetie?" she carefully entered the room. "Are you up?"

While Jason did walk around the house and managed to do little more than be miserable; today he hadn't even bothered getting out of bed. What was the point anymore?

"Jason," his mother had to hunch over to fit into the bunk overhead. She sat on the edge of the bed. "Your father and I want to talk to you."

Jason didn't move, only shutting his eyes tighter. They didn't have to tell him. He's a failure. He's a disappointment. He's a bad kid. He's stupid. He's wimpy and pathetic. He's-

"We talked it over," she told the young boy, "And… we decided to let you go."

'They're kicking me out.'

"We didn't take into account how you felt in… all this," his father spoke over him. "We never asked, and we're sorry."

"I'm sorry," he then clarified.

"If you want to challenge the league, go out and explore, that's fine," his mother told him. "But we need to talk about some ground rules, okay?"

They waited for his answer. Jason, processing what was said, finally sat up.

"You told me to wait for a year," he confessed.

"Yes," his father remembered.

"Everyone else already has a partner," Jason continued, "They've had they're adventure. They all did what they wanted to do and I'm just… sitting here."

His fists clenched in his lap.

"I can take care of myself," he told them. "I can sleep outside and catch Pokémon and all that whatever!" He reached behind him and pulled his hidden treasure, a treasure he's even hidden from his siblings, out from under his pillow. "This badge proves it! I'm more than tough enough!"

His parents looked more defeated than he felt. His father sighed.

"Yes," he agreed, "You are."

His hand was behind his back, and he brought it around and placed two devices in front of him. One was the pokéball that had been taken from him several days ago. The other was a slender tablet that he had always wanted, but never owned.

"We talked it over with Professor Green," he told the boy. "And he agreed you should have the same opportunities as everyone else."

He picked up the tablet. "This is your new phone. It doubles as a pokédex, so you can identify any pokemon you come across. You will charge it _every night_, so we can reach you whenever we want or need to."

Jason nodded, barely breathing. Barely blinking.

"We'll also help you pack a bag, a _proper_ bag so that you can be prepared for the wilderness. It won't be like our annual camping trips, okay?" his mother graced his cheek.

"We can go over this later today," his dad commented. "If... this is still something you want to do?"

Jason blinked, then couldn't help but smile.

"Yes!"


	4. Chapter 4

Jason stood in the foyer, with his family surrounding him. He had a new camping bag, which was massive, and had so much more space compared to his regular school backpack. He had fewer clothes in it, and a slew of camping supplies and emergency rations.

"Okay," his dad had his hand on Jason's shoulder. "You… remember all the things we talked about? Like sleeping and bathroom stuff? And poisonous berries?"

Jason nodded.

"You got your phone? And your credit card which is for emergencies and supplies only, and not for toys and candy?"

Jason nodded at each point but couldn't help but smile. He felt he was a little beyond candy now, but he could understand the warning.

"You have your phone, Bulbasaur, and your ba- er, pokéballs?"

Jason stifled a giggle and nodded.

"Okay," his father's fathers hand seemed glued to his shoulder. "Just stay safe. And behave."

After he pried his hand away, his mother assaulted him next.

"Oh…" she cried as she squeezed him. "Look at you… ready for your trip! I don't know how I'm going to…"

Jason said nothing but returned the tight hug. She squeezed him harder.

"I love you, sweetie," she told him. "We all do."

"…"

It took a minute to say.

"I…know," he mentally slapped himself. "I love you too."

She pulled back and took a minute to wipe her tears. "You call us, okay? Every night."

Jason nodded, before wiping his own face on his arm.

Next was Ethan, who walked up with his head turned and his arms crossed. He said nothing at first.

"Ethan," their mother suggested with a certain threat buried in her words. "Is their something you want to say?"

Ethan let his arms down and looked at his own feet before mumbling something. Jason couldn't make out what he said.

Jason leaned over to him and hugged him anyway.

"I'll see you later," Jason promised him. Ethan just stood there, weakly accepting the hug and doing little to return it.

After they pulled apart, Ethan took a few steps back, not saying anything.

Minnie walked up with a stuffed Pachurisu clutched tightly in her little arms.

"When will you be back?" she asked, unsure.

"Uh…" Jason thought it over. "I don't know. There are eight gyms before I get into the Pokémon League. So…"

"The day after tomorrow?" She asked optimistically. Her nose was now buried into the back of the toy.

"…Maybe a bit longer than that," Jason rubbed the back of his head. "I'll find you something to-"

She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his sides and squeezing tightly. Jason knelt down and hugged the six-year-old. She was crying.

Jason sniffed and did everything he could to keep his own tears from shedding.

"…I'll-" he croaked. He coughed and tried to speak again. "I'll bring back something cute for you to play with. Something pink. Something fluffy. Okay?"

Minnie sniffed violently and stepped away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. Her toy was discarded on the floor.

Jason stood, and looked at each of them one more time before reaching for the front door.

"Okay," he said, "I'm going."

They all waved and called out their goodbyes, and Jason returned the waves and ran off to the bus stop.

The plan was to catch the bus to Viridian, from there (with a handy-dandy new map in his pocket) he would resume his adventure and make his way to the Pewter City gym.

At the stop, he saw someone waiting there for him. And she had her own camping bag.

"Oh, hello again!" she waved.

Jason blinked. It was the gym leader from yesterday. Jaime… no, wait… Josie!

"Uh… hi?" Jason stuttered. "What are you doing here?"

"My grandpa works at the science center," she reminded, "I was visiting today."

"Oh," Jason stated. "Cool."

He stood next to her, waiting for the bus. They stood in silence, though Jason was oblivious to her observations.

"Say," she started again. "Are you…going to the other gyms? The other badges, and all that?"

Jason smiled and nodded, without really looking at her. She was cute, and definitely a teenager.

"Yeah," he said, remembering his words. "I'm entering the Pokemon League."

"Oh cool!" she excitedly added. "Can I come along?"

Jason's smile disappeared for confusion.

"What?"

"Well," she rubbed the back of her neck, "I'm not really great at the whole _Gym Leader_ shtick, so I thought I'd check out the others and take some notes. Since we're both going in the same direction, I thought we could go together!"

She smiled after she was done, waiting for Jason's answer.

Jason coughed. "Uh…sure? I guess that's alright."

Josie pouted, looking hurt. "Aw, you don't like me?"

Jason's face heated up. "No, no! It's not like that, I just-" he stammered. "I just thought… don't Trainers usually travel alone? I mean… that's just what I saw… on tv and stuff…"

The girl gave him a forgiving look and patted his shoulder.

"Well," she said "Now you don't have to. We can go together. If… that's okay with you."

Jason smiled and nodded.

"Yeah," he answered. "Sounds fun."

"Great!" Josie energetically threw her hands up.

And with that, the bus rolled up. Jason nodded to the bus driver, who was the same one as yesterday, and within the hour, made it to Viridian City and to its opposite end.

"Viridian forest," Josie introduced. "Where all the bugs like to hang out."

She shivered. "I hate bugs."

Jason looked at her and shrugged. He wasn't overly fond of bugs either, but he wasn't scared of them. It was snakes that was the problem.

"How big is the forest?" Jason wondered. "I was hoping to get to Pewter City today."

Josie flinched at the words.

"Well," she tried to explain, "The forest is pretty big. We'll probably have to spend a night here and get there tomorrow."

Jason blinked. "Oh."

Josie smiled. "Did you think all the cities were next to each other?"

"No, I-" Jason stammered as they walked through the forest. "I just-"

"Easy," Josie put her hands up, "I'm only teasing. This is a long trip ahead of us. I hope you like walking."

Jason did not, in fact, like walking. But he sucked it up and marched onward, deeper into the woods, only following a loose dirt trail.

Suddenly, Jason saw a little bird hop its way onto the path. A pidgey!

Jason took out one of the orbs in his pocket and charged forward. He threw it with as much force as he could muster. The pidgey saw him coming and flapped away and out of sight before the pokéball even struck the ground.

"What are you doing?!" Josie called out behind him. "What was that?"

She sounded like she was trying not to laugh. Jason turned to her as she caught up with the biggest grin on her face.

"Have you never caught a Pokemon before?" she asked him.

Jason, feeling embarrassed, shook his head.

"Okay," she took a breath, "So, Bulbasaur is the only partner you have?"

Jason nodded, not directly looking at her.

"You know, that's okay," she patted his shoulder. "I'll show you how its done."

They stepped off the path and onto a bunny trail (which confused Jason. What's a bunny?).

They found some tall grass and Josie sent out one of her partners; a female Nidoran.

The long short of it was that Pokemon love to fight. They thrive on it. So when they see another Pokemon, they're more inclined to stick around and be caught. You fight them a little bit, and when they're weak, you catch them. Josie demonstrated this on one such pidgey.

"There, you see?" She held the ball up, showing her latest prize. "You think you can do that?"

Jason nodded, brow furrowed in determination.

"Yeah."

Jason set to work, scanning the ground for new partners. He spotted one and set to work.

At the end of it, the bounty wasn't anything to be impressed by. A pidgey, a ratatta, and a ledyba were the result of his hunting. As he examined each one with his phone (thanks to the new pokedex feature) his shoulders slumped.

"What's wrong?" Josie noted.

"It's just…" Jason shook his head. "Won't Bulbasaur feel… jealous? About the other Pokemon, I mean. I don't him to feel like I'm leaving him behind."

Josie wore a bemused smile, and bit her lip before answering.

"Don't worry about that, kiddo," she patted his shoulder, "Think of it this way: You need eight badges, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, not every gym is the same," she continued, "And you're going to be fighting a lot of battles, right?"

"…Yeah."

"So… Bulbasaur can't fight _everyone_ by himself. I mean, yeah, _you're_ helping him, but get the poor boy a team so he can split the work load! Right?"

Jason nodded in understanding. "Right… Yeah, that makes sense."

"Besides," she smiled childishly. "He'll understand if you want to play with the ladybug."

Jason blushed. He liked the ledyba he caught. It was so… floaty and cute. But he hadn't said anything about it. This observation of Jason's feelings wasn't exclusive to current company. No matter who he was talking to, they managed to read his emotions and thoughts to him like a book. It made it impossible to get away with a lie (not that he really made that a habit). How does everyone do that!?

Suddenly, they saw someone walking towards them on the path they were walking. High socks, muddy shoes, comfy looking cargo shorts, tank top for a warm day, straw hat for shade, and a bug catching net.

Jason made the mistake of looking him in his eyes. A shock ran through his body, as what usually happens when he makes eye contact with anyone, and he slowed his pace as a result.

No, don't stop in the middle of the road. Just keep walking and go about your business. Let the man do his thing-

_Oh god, he's making a b-line straight for me! Why?! What'd I do?!_

"Hey!" the bug catcher called his attention. "When two trainers make eye contact, they're looking for a battle!"

Jason's shoulders were up around his ears, and his breathing hitched.

"Th…Thank for the advice," he answered, sounding like a caveman. "Won't happen again."

The other boy just looked confused. Josie leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"Trainers fight each other all the time," she clarified. "If you want your partners to get stronger then…"

"I have to fight everyone," Jason realized under his breath.

Sure, he figured there'd be _some_ fights with other (preferably friendly) trainers, but random strangers? They were literally walking down opposite sides of the road just a second ago, and now they're going to fight? What kind of logic is that? Does this mean he'll have to fight everyone he runs into? Waiters, pet groomers, teachers, baristas, office workers, construction workers. Not to mention gangsters and bullies?

"Uh…" the other boy seemed to back away. "If you really don't want to fight, we don't-"

Josie even tried to pull him away with her arms around his shoulders. Jason resisted, sticking in place.

"…" Jason fought to speak. "…I'll fight you."

The bug catcher lightened up a little. "Okay."

"You sure?" Josie asked him.

Jason nodded. "Yeah."

The fight went off swimmingly. Turns out, the guy only had two pokemon. A caterpie, and a metapod. The metapod was obnoxious, as it didn't have any attacks and only used harden, but Jason finished the fight, nonetheless. Jason's confidence swelled into two other fights. One against a youngster, and another against a scout.

Later, they set up something of a camp, and were ready to lie down for the night.

"So, you have to fight strangers a lot, huh?" Jason asked, as Josie set up her own separate tent from his.

"Yeah," she answered absently. "That's the thing about going to new places. You're going to be in new situations, with people you don't know. Its going to be rough sometimes. It could be fun, too. But its going to be different than what you're used to, and it's not for the faint of heart."

Jason tried to think of his usual routines. Its all thrown out the window now that he's on this adventure. Of course, comparing this to one of their camping trips helped thus far. He's not walking away from home, he's on a hike, and he'll return soon.

Jason sighed. It's been a long day. Along with Bulbasaur, he now had three new partners to help him with this adventure. They all need to rest.

"I'm going to sleep," he told his human companion, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Josie smiled at him.

She stayed up for a little while longer, making a phone call that was indecipherable to Jason. He decided it wasn't important and turned away to get some sleep.

The next morning was peaceful, though clouds rolled with thunder in the distance. The sun was creeping higher in the distance. Jason wanted to get a move on with their journey, so, while waiting for Josie to wake up, he packed his things and got dressed. He had to stop and take his time with the tent, making sure he folded it correctly to fit in his bag.

"Ready to go, huh?"

Jason turned to Josie, dressed for the day and sticking her head out of her tent. He nodded with a patient smile.

He finished his bag packing and paused. What was that noise?

"I packed some store bought breakfast," Josie stood and stretched. "I heard it tastes like astronaut food, but I thought it'd be nice to try some new-"

"Shh!" Jason hushed her, raising his hand.

Josie looked slightly offended but became concerned as she watched him.

"…What is it?" She wondered with a whisper.

Jason heard it again. It was such an awful sound. It sent every nerve in his body into a frenzy. He stood up and ran towards the noise.

Its source was coming from the road. Jason burst onto the path in time to see a trainer, maybe older than him, maybe the same age, kicking a small creature against a tree.

"Stupid. Worthless. Piece of-" He laid another kick. "All that money is gone! You know how much I bet on you?! And you just flop?!"

He raised his leg to stomp it again, but Jason launched himself at him. It all happened so fast he could barely process it all. He tackled the kid to the ground. He was definitely older, maybe in high school. Jason threw a fist into his face. He threw another, before the other guy was able to regain his composure and counter.

The strike stunned Jason, which allowed the guy to push Jason off him and stand. Jason followed suite.

The bully grabbed a ball off his belt, Jason reached to do the same, but found none there. He left them back at the campsite!

Suddenly, the teenager cried out and dropped the pokéball. He clutched the hand that held it, and they both looked over to see Josie, wearing an expression Jason had never seen before. The little blue nidoran at her side stood by furiously, having just fired of Poison Sting.

"Stay away from my kid." She stated simply.

"_He_ attacked _me_!" he pointed out.

"Run. Away. Cole."

The teen flinched, before grabbing the pokéball and sprinting away.

Josie's expression softened, but only slightly, as she turned to Jason. "Jason," she said, "Why did you-?"

He couldn't answer, as he rushed over to the bruised and bloody form under the tree. It was covered in yellow fur and had shallow breathing.

"Oh my god," Josie noticed it for the first time.

Jason moved to pick it up when Josie rushed over and stopped him.

"Wait, Jason," she ordered. "I need you to go pack my stuff up for me. Let me take care of this little guy. Go stuff my tent in my bag and hurry back."

Jason nodded and ran off. His mind rushed with uncertainty, and he could barely think of what he was doing as he was doing it. He soon and one backpack over each shoulder, which was heavy, but he rushed back to the road anyway. He found the girl standing with a wrapped bundle in her arms.

"Here," she said, "Set my bag down and get settled with yours. You can't run and carry two bags at once."

Jason hated it but he agreed. He much prefer to get the little Pikachu to safety, but he didn't know if he could keep up with Josie with two full camping bags.

Josie put the little guy in his arms after he fixed his own bag across his shoulders and she set to work fixing hers. Pikachu was still breathing shallowly.

"I know you want to carry him," she confessed, moving to take him back. "but I'm more versed in this. Try to keep up with me, okay?"

Jason barely had time to nod before she started jogging away.

"There's still about a mile to go before we get to Pewter city!" she called over her shoulder. "We need to hustle!"

Jason wasn't an athletic boy. Sweat was always sensory hell on his back; like something was crawling from his neckline to his shorts. Regardless, he ran. He ran to keep up with Josie. He ran to make sure Pikachu would be okay.

They ran.


	5. Chapter 5

Jason sat in the hard seats in the lobby. Plastic cushions were imbedded in the chairs, but still managed to be uncomfortable. His stomach was twisted in knots. His mind was clouded with dark thoughts. And he was soaked to the bone.

The thunderstorm outside was not letting up, at all. Violent thunder crashes did little to settle Jason as he waited for a report.

Josie appeared in his field of vision, and she was just as soaked as he was. She sat down next to him with a stony expression.

"Hey," she greeted. She propped her head and arm on the back of the seat, facing Jason.

Jason looked at her from the side of his vision. He was finding it very hard to do… much of anything except breath and blink.

"Pikachu's going to be okay," she told him. "the damage was… It looked a lot worse than what it actually was." She cleared her throat. "The doctors think that you saw the worst of it, and that this may have been the first time this has happened."

Jason nodded. The knot loosened in his stomach, at least somewhat.

"…How…" he struggled. "How did… you know him?"

Josie sucked in air before answering. "We used to be classmates. He was never a good kid and his family moved before the summer. I didn't know he moved till I started my first week in high school. I guess he never shaped up."

Jason didn't respond or comment. The whole experience, the whole day thus far, has been upsetting (to put it mildly).

"I made a call to the police," she told Jason, "They're on their way to-"

She paused as she looked over Jason's head to the front doors. Jason followed her gaze and watched as an officer walked in and scanned the room.

"That was quick," she commented. At the same time, Jason felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He fetched it out and saw that it was his parents calling.

"I'll talk to the police," she told him. "You need to talk to your parents."

Jason nodded and answered.

"Hey, buddy," his father's voice was wary. "You forgot to call last night."

Jason shrunk in his chair.

"Sorry…" he croaked.

"It's okay, buddy. Just…we gave you that phone for a reason, remember?"

"Yeah…"

There was a moment of silence over the line. By the time Jason worked up the nerve to speak, his father spoke at the exact moment, but stopped to let the son have his say.

"We saw something this morning," he confessed. "Someone was…kicking a Pokémon…in the road."

His father didn't comment at first, letting Jason continue.

"We ran it to the Pokemon Center," Jason's vision blurred with tears, "Its going to be okay, but its still…"

"I know, buddy, I know," he answered. "Its rough. Its ugly to deal with. And sometimes just witnessing it is enough."

"How can someone be so…." Jason choked.

"I don't know, buddy. Some people…don't know how to deal with anger. Some people just…aren't raised right."

Jason thought back to years' worth of talks with his dad. Being a bigger kid in his class, his dad always warned him about picking fights, acting out in anger, and holding back his strength. Of course, he was always too timid to get into fights, leaving him a tall target for bullies, but the lessons stayed regardless.

"Listen," his father told him. Jason could hear the car door being shut in the background. "I'm on my way to Pewter city to get you. I'll be there in two-"

"What?!" Jason stood. His heart dropped into his shoes. "Why?!"

"Jason…" his father sighed. "You've… You've made a lot of progress, but…"

"Dad," Jason argued, "I haven't even gotten started! I mean… I know there's been… _this_, but I'm not…"

"You watched a Pokemon be brutalized," he said back. The car starting. "That's more than I ever expected you to go through. We can try this again later, just…"

Jason couldn't believe what he heard next.

"Just stay there and wait for me."

The boy let his arm drop and, after a moment of processing, hung up the phone. He sat back down, staring off into the distance with the new information he'd been given. It made him angry. This anger ran deeper than any river. Anger at that guy. Anger at the bullies, who taunted him and told him he couldn't do anything, and anger…

Anger at his own father.

He stood and made his way to the public restrooms. He needed dry clothes, first.

When he finished changing out of his wet socks, there was a knock at the door.

"Jason?" Josie called from the door. "You in there?"

He opened the door and stepped out as he answered.

"I'm fine," he said.

"Okay?" Josie looked at him skeptically. "Did you talk to your parents?"

"Yeah," he coughed before continuing. "He's going to meet us at the gym."

She looked at him, unsure of the answer. "Okay…"

"Let's go," Jason started to walk towards the door. The storms had ceased.

"Uh, can I change first?" Josie complained.

Later, they entered the gym, and Jason impatiently made his way into the arena.

"Welcome to the Pewter City Gym," a muscular man stood at the opposite end as Jason entered. "I took over the gym from my oldest brother, Brock, and I, Brick, fight to honor his legacy. Which is why I renovated the Rock typing of his gym, into fighting types. Now, I understand you have a badge already?"

Jason nodded. "Yes."

"No doubt with a little type advantage to help," Gym Leader Brick claimed, "I doubt you will have such advantages here."

Jason took out a pokéball.

"We gonna fight?" he asked without patience.

In response, Brick threw out his partner, and in a flash of light, a mankey appeared. Jason threw out his ratatta.

"Use Leer!"

"Low Kick!"

Ratatta cut its eyes at the mankey, but it did little to slow the creature's advance. It charged forward and slid across the ground. It's foot connected against the purple rodent, and sent it skidding to Jason's feet.

He returned it to the pokéball.

"I hoped to get another turn in," he confessed, "but I know you did your best."

He sent out his next partner, Ledyba. Brick seemed visibly displeased.

"Tch," he complained, "You bring a bug type, here?"

Jason was not in the mood. "I brought a bug type, here. Supersonic!"

The floaty bug type let out an ear-piercing cry, that was somehow focused in front of them. Jason couldn't help but cringe at the noise, but he powered through it. Mankey suffered a direct it from the attack and started to wobble from side to side.

"Use Focus Energy!" Brick ordered.

If the mankey heard it, it gave no indication. Instead, it threw a paw like one would throw a fist, and it swung inwardly, nailing itself in the nose. It hurt itself in its confusion!

"Use Tackle," Jason ordered. Ledyba buzzed over to its bipedal opponent and shoulder-checked it. It looked back at Jason for confirmation and praise, and he gave it with a thumbs up and a smile.

Mankey tried to use scratch but ended up hurting itself again.

_Health's got to be on the lower side,_ Jason thought. _A couple more hits should do it!_

"Use Swift!"

"Snap out of it, mankey!" Brick complained, "Use Fury Swipes!"

LMankey shook its head (also its body) free of the confusion and lunged at the bug type. A flurry of shooting stars battered it, but it powered through them to get to its target. It scratched Jason's partner twice before missing the third time. Ledyba was starting to struggle staying in the air.

"C'mon…" Jason muttered. "Use Tackle!"

"Fury Swipes again!"

Mankey lunged forward, scratching ledyba several times. It lunged forward, tackling the monkey with its small might. Mankey stubbled and fell backward with its feet up in the air. Ledyba tried to regain its footing in the air but collapsed on the ground. The two trainers returned their respective partners.

"You did great," he praised the lady bug. Then he sent out Bulbasaur.

"I see my suspicions were correct-"

"Just shut up and fight," Jason interjected. Brick looked stunned but refocused on the fight, sending out a Machop. Unknown to Jason, Josie received a text on her phone.

"Use Leech Seed!"

"Focus Energy!"

Machop smacked a fist into its palm and grinded it with a sinister smile. The Leech Seed latched onto Machop with barely any notice.

"Vine Whip!"

"Karate Chop!"

The little humanoid jumped up into the air and brought its hand down in a chopping motion on top of Bulbasaur's head. He stumbled for a second before collapsing.

Jason cursed under his breath. He was down to his last partner. Though, the good news is, even with Bulbasaur returned, the seed still seemed to be imbedded in Machop. Could it be that…?

"Go, pidgey!"

The little bird appeared in a flash of light. It blinked around and pecked at the ground. Despite this, Brick looked like he was starting to sweat.

"Alright, pidgey," Jason ordered. "Use Sand Attack!"

"Let's ready with Focus Energy again!" Brick ordered.

Sand was splashed and energy was collected. He was going to try and sweep him!

"Use Low Sweep!"

"Use Gust!"

Machop charged forward and dropped to slide kick a bird. Luckily, the bird had enough brains to flap upward and out of the way. It countered by flapping hard, sweeping a gust of wind that battered the little weirdo.

There it was, a flash of red and green auras. He didn't notice it earlier, but now it was confirmed. Anyone could absorb the energy from a Leech Seed, not just the user. An interesting note for future fights.

More challenging fights.

"Let's wrap this up. Gust! With gusto!"

"Karate Chop!"

The winds reached first, slamming Machop into the ground. It tried to get back up, but fell back, defeated.

Brick sighed and returned his partner to the ball.

"Don't worry," he told the Pokémon. "We'll get 'em next time."

He turned to Jason and walked across the field to him, fetching something from his pocket. Rather than being bitter about the defeat, he wore a small smile.

"Congratulations," he told Jason, "You've fought valiantly. For your efforts, I award you the Boulder Badge. Well done."

"Thanks," Jason graciously took it. "Uh, sorry about-"

Brick waved his hand over the matter. "Don't worry about it. It's okay to feel angry or frustrated, as long as you let it go and focus on something constructive. I've had to learn that the hard way."

Jason nodded, appreciating the advice.

Jason and Josie exit the building, only to find Jason's father making his way to it.

"Jason," he met them, worry in his eyes.

"I'm not going home," Jason told him.

"Jason…"

"I'm not. Going home."

The two of them stared at each other.

"In three days (that I wasn't at home), I collected two badges!" Jason claimed, showing his prize. "I can do this!"

He watched his father's nostrils flair for a moment before the older man sighed.

"This is dangerous, son," he said, "It's not like when I went on my adventure when I was your age. I remember when Brock gave out the Boulder Badge. Misty, Lt. Surge, Blaine… Those are the Gym Leaders that I know. And with kids like…who you ran into earlier today…"

"I know," Jason looked down. There was a tightness in his chest. "I'm…still upset. If I ever see that guy again…I don't know what I would do. Just… nothing good." He took a breath. "But…I can do this. I can handle this. It would…"

He hesitated. Putting his naked feelings out there has never been his strong suite.

"It would… be better," he stated slowly, "easier, if you supported me…"

"Support you?" his father's outrage was laid bare. "All we've ever done is-"

"I mean," Jason put a hand up. "trust me. You were so ready to come and get me. You want me home, and not out here. You don't… support me."

The two of them stood there in silence. Jason couldn't bring his head up to look at him.

"…You're right."

Jason looked up in shock.

"I haven't been… putting my trust in you," he confessed. "Not in the way that matters. I'm so sorry, Jason."

Jason felt the tightness move to his throat, and it seemed to be squeezing tears out of his eyes. His father embraced him, and Jason sobbed into his shoulder.

After the tears were gone, they pulled apart.

"Please call me," he asked of Jason, "Call home, when you need us."

"I will," he promised.

With that, Jason watched as he got back into his car and, after one more look, drove away.

"That was…pretty heavy," Josie commented.

Jason looked away from her. Ashamed.

"C'mon," she patted his shoulder. "Let's get some hot chocolate at the Pokémon Center. I know its still early summer, and all that, but you need something for the heart."

"…Yeah," he agreed. "Yeah okay."

After making their way back to the building, the nurses flagged them down.

"We have good news!" she told him, "Pikachu has made a full recovery!"

The mouse in question hopped up on the counter.

"_Pika-pika_!" it greeted.

"Hey, buddy," Jason reached over, scratching behind its ears. The creature leaned into his hand, seeking more affection.

"I think he likes you," Josie commented.

"He's not registered," the nurse mentioned.

"What's that mean?" Jason wondered.

"It means Cole smashed the pokéball when we caught him in the act," Josie crossed her arms. "Pikachu is free to go anywhere it wants."

"Well, how about it?" Jason asked the little yellow mouse. "Do you want to come with me?"

"_Pikachu_!"

"That," Josie answered, "Is an adorable, and resounding, yes."


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't believe you punched a full-grown teenager!" Josie praised next to him, practically hopping on his shoulder.

Jason blinked at the girl for a moment, talking as he walked.

"He wasn't…that much older…" he commented, feeling bashful, "Kind of scrawny, too."

Josie threw her head back and laughed. Soon she stopped herself and turned back to Jason.

"Seriously though," she said, "Let's not pick too many fights with the other kids."

"I didn't have my Pokemon with me," Jason explained.

"Well, let's try to avoid that situation again, okay?"

Jason nodded. He agreed that getting into a fist fight was not the best part of his day. The fight was yesterday, but he still had the bruise on his cheek as proof of the fight. He absentmindedly felt the light wound with his hand; still tender to the touch. Even under the bandage.

"How does that feel?" Josie wondered.

"Fine," he answered. "Never been punched before."

He looked over to her and saw that she was biting her lip in uncertainty. She looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn't bring herself to word it. Jason sympathized with the plight.

"How old are you, anyway?"

"Fifteen," she answered, "Why?"

"I just… didn't know you in high school."

"Yeah, well," she sighed, "Apparently that's old enough to run a gym _and_ help out with… well..."

She shook her head. "I work with little kids at the youth center back home."

Jason smiled. That sounds like a fine job. Sure, overseeing a Gym sounds awesome, but working with other kids? That's just as important, isn't it?

They continued their walk to the next destination; Cerulean City. It's supposed to be pretty and peaceful there. Jason remembered visiting Pewter city for a field trip to the museum there, but now he was venturing farther than he ever had before. The uncertainty of what lie ahead made him anxious, but he took each step anyways: focusing on the next moment, instead of the stuff down the road. (Literally in this case)

He had been fighting trainers all day. This route was full of them, like an infestation of small conflicts. Ledyba evolved into Ledian, Pidgey evolved into Pidgeotto, and Ratatta evolved into Raticate. He'd been keeping Bulbasaur on the bench lately, focusing on getting everyone else stronger. He caught a Sentret, and a Sandshrew along the way. (Even Sentret evolved rather quickly after he caught it) Everything else didn't really strike his interest.

At least, until they walked along the shore of a lake. A small creature bobbed out of the water. Jason couldn't help but stop and watch it. It bobbed its way to the shore and walked onto the beach. It was little blue blob, with wide eyes and a finned tail. It's white belly had a black spiral on it.

"What is that?" Jason wondered with the same sense.

"Use your pokédex," Josie reminded him.

He brought out the phone and scanned it.

"Poliwag, the tadpole pokémon," Jason read off the device. Josie looked over his shoulder. "The black swirl is actually its own organs showing through. It can't walk on land very well, so if it senses danger, it will rush back into the water. Trainers are advised to watch for color discoloration on its belly and walk it every day."

Looking back up from the phone, he could see how it struggled to waddle across the sands, flopping its feet as it forged ahead.

Jason switched his dex for pokéball, throwing out one of his recent partners.

"Go, Pikachu!" Jason called.

The yellow mouse appeared in a flash of light, ready for battle. Poliwag took notice of the new arrival, and turned, standing firm.

It looked so brave. It was enough to move a man to tears.

"Alright, Pikachu," Jason commanded, "Let's take it easy. We don't want to scare him off or hurt him too much. So let's start off with Quick Attack."

The rodent dashed forward with incredible speed, hitting the amphibious animal and dashing back within seconds. Quick Attack was quite the spectacle.

Poliwag shook off the impact and countered. It's little pink lips pursed together and blowing bubbles out its mouth. They shot off like projectiles without focus, hitting a wide area in front of Poliwag. Most of the bubbles missed their intended target, but some hit Pikachu, and others whistled past Jason and Josie's legs, making her yelp and scurry out of the way.

Okay, Electro Ball and Thunder Shock were way too much for this little guy to handle, so…

"Quick Attack. Again!"

He followed the command, and smacked the tadpole again, though he ended his assault close by, standing closer to the creature.

This prompted Poliwag to turn and jump backwards, whapping Pikachu with its tail.

"Was that…" Josie wondered, "Was that supposed to be Double Slap?"

Jason didn't answer. Instead, he chucked the pokéball with as much force as he could muster. The ball spun wildly, but made its mark. The Poliwag vanished in a flash of light. The ball landed in the sand, shaking. Pikachu examined it closely, smelling it.

Once…

Twice…

Three times…

_Click!_

That does it! He got the little guy!

Jason rushed over to pick it up, but before he could reach it, the ball itself vanished!

"What? Where?" Jason looked over the beach. He turned to Josie in panic. _How could he have lost it, the ball was right here?!_ "Where did it go?"

"Easy, Champ. Relax," she tried to steady him. "He's in Old Bill's PC."

"Who's Bill?" Jason wondered.

"Bill holds- well, _used to hold_\- all pokémon trainer's extra pokémon for them," Josie explained, "I mean, he's got people working for him now, but-"

She shook her head.

"The law states that any and all Pokémon owners can carry no more than six at a time," she stated, "So any extras go to into a personal storage space until you go switch them out at a Pokémon center."

"But," Jason wondered, then started scratching his head. "I… didn't know that. Hmm…"

Josie waited patiently while Jason worded his question. Concepts of teleportation and storage spaces swam inside his head. He looked at Pikachu and back to the pokéball in his hand.

"How do…" he started, "The Pokemon… What's it like inside a pokéball?"

Josie seemed amused.

"Well, I can't really say since I haven't been in one myself," she teased, "But… the way I was told, it's a preservation capsule. The Pokémon inside is stabilized in a comfortable, but dormant, state. Too them, it's almost like no time at all passes."

Jason looked back at the ball in his hand. "What if they're hurt, or poisoned?"

"Then they're kept safe inside the pokéball until you can rush them over to the Pokémon Center," she patiently explained. She then blinked in remembrance of something. "Although… Gramps always does complain how easily we have it when it comes to the poison status…"

Jason looked back to Pikachu, having a new perspective on all his partners. He didn't want any one of them to feel bad, but… the partners like the ones he just caught haven't really been out of their capsules since he caught them (other than for battle, and he babied Bulbasaur and Pikachu to _death_).

He returned Pikachu to the pokéball and snapped it to his belt. The returned on their course to Cerulean.

"So, how do you know so much about fighting, but not about… this other stuff?" Josie wondered.

"I watch a lot of battle videos on _Go-Tube_," Jason answered. "Plus the annual tournaments they have on tv."

"Ah," Josie nodded. "So that's how you know about different types and all that?"

"Yeah," Jason agreed. "I learned… bits of stuff, here and there… and they just kind of… added up nicely in my head."

Jason spent… perhaps _too_ much time on the web. For the most part he would watch informational stuff and battles. There were some cartoons there too, but other videos that…. made him sick to his stomach.

"Hmm," she thought to herself. "Well, I don't really have time for internet stuff, but I know the next gym host is quite the little internet star."

"Really?" Jason wondered, "Which one?"

"Um…" Josie thought for a moment. "I can't remember, sorry."

_I'll find out soon enough_, Jason thought to himself.

For now, he had to enjoy the sight.

Cerulean City was as beautiful a city as it was a name. The sky seemed to be shining a heavenly spot light on the buildings itself. Entering the city, and visiting the Pokémon Center, all roads seemed to circle around the fountain at the center of town.

Josie was star struck. "I keep forgetting how beautiful this place is."

"You've been here before?" Jason wondered.

"Er, couple times," she coughed. She got quiet, like she let a secret slip.

"There's the gym," she pointed out, rather hastily.

"Huh?" Jason blinked. "That's the Ocean Dance Theater. My parents had their first date there."

"Oh, that is _oh so sweet_," Josie commented, "But the building is two-fold. One-part theater, one-part gym."

"Oh, cool."

They entered and saw that the theater wing was closed off for construction.

"Aw," Josie lamented, "That's a shame, they're closing it down."

Jason felt a pull in his chest. It truly was a shame, though that word didn't seem to due justice to what he felt.

"Jason," his friend called, "Over here."

He hurried over to the arena, which, seemed to be just a dried out aquarium? There was a catwalk stretching across it, and a teen at the other end, texting away on his phone. He had a designer letterman jacket with matching shorts. His shoes looked just as expensive. One top of all of that, his hat was turned sideways.

The word "humble" was not found here.

He turned to Jason with impatient disgust.

"Ugh," he rolled his eyes after seeing the two of them, "Again, with this?"

Jason looked to Josie, who shrugged with an "I'm sorry for this" look.

He rapidly and nonchalantly listed off his status like he was bored with it.

"My name's Logan," he started, "This is my flying type gym, if you win, you get the Cascade Badge… Yadda-yadda-yadda. Be sure to subscribe to my channel on Go-Tube. Logan Wins Vlog."

He sounded more enthusiastic about that last part than anything else. Jason blinked as something clicked in his head.

"Wait…" he said, "I know your channel… You're that bully that challenges kids and old people to Pokémon fights. You harass homeless people and abuse wild Pokémon for views! You're a psychopath!"

Logan gritted his teeth and looked over at Josie accusingly.

"How many dumb kids are you gonna…?" He muttered to himself.

Jason had no idea what he was talking about, but didn't get the chance to ask.

"We going to fight, now?" he offered. He threw his pokéball into the air and it revealed a Pidgeotto with a flash of light.

Jason reached for the pokéball holding Pikachu, but hesitated. This is the fight for his third badge. Which means these fights aren't just going to have two Pokémon and be done with it. There's going to be more, and its only going to get harder. Pikachu will get tired fighting all by himself.

Split the workload.

He threw out a pokéball, revealing Furret. The racoon pokémon stood on the catwalk, while their opponent circled somewhere above them. Logan called out first.

"Wing Attack!"

"Quick Attack!"

Furret circled and coiled around the railing, almost like a serpent, and sprung itself into the air. It tackled the bird in the air, and it countered with a swipe of its wing, sending Furret plummeting to the ground. Jason's heart plummeted with it, as he realized the sheer depth of the empty aquarium, and how little space the catwalk provided.

Luckily, Furret managed to grasp the ledge of the catwalk and scrambled back on. It was heaving air like it had the biggest scare of its life.

Logan seemed to read Jason's mind before he could say anything.

"If you can't deal, man, you can leave," he called out, failing to hide his smirk.

Jason bit back another curse.

"Furret, use Fury Swipes."

"Whirlwind!"

Winds were whipped up. Furret tried to use its claws to hang on, but slipped and flew back towards Jason. Before the collision, Furret turned into a red light, vanishing back into its pokéball. Suddenly, Raticate appeared in front of him.

"Aw," Logan taunted, "Special ed caught every type from here to Pallet town. Ain't that precious?"

Jason glared at him before giving the order.

"Raticate," he said through gritted teeth, "Use Hyper Fang."

"Wing Attack!"

The rat lunged forward as Pidgeotto dived down at it. It whacked Raticate with its wing, but the ground based animal attacked with a powerful bite at the same time. It released the bird, and they squared off again. Pidgeotto looked weak.

"Quick Attack!"

"Whirlwind!"

Raticate leaped into the air as Pidgeotto flapped its wings. It collided with the bird before the winds picked it up and threw it back at Jason.

This time, Bulbasaur was dragged out.

"Tch," Logan could be heard, "Should've known."

He refocused on the fight.

"It'll all be over soon," Logan told him. "Gust!"

"Use Takedown!"

Pidgeotto was below the catwalk now, flapping its wings furiously. Winds whipped around his companion, hurting him. Regardless, he charged forward, recklessly throwing its body off the catwalk and tackling the bird head on. That seemed to be the last hit the enemy could take and fell to the floor.

With the same breath, Bulbasaur shot out a vine from the bulb on its back. It wrapped itself around the railing on the catwalk and swung back onto the platform.

Jason stared at it in wonder. It was breathing heavily, and looked like it was struggling to stand, but it treated like that little trick was no big deal. It was hurt, badly, and it can't take much more…

Why is it glowing?

Jason watched as his little Bulbsaur's features became shrouded in light. Its base got bigger, now rising to half of Jason's height. The bulb bloomed, revealing a closed pink flower, surrounded by palm leaves at the base of the stem.

"Bulbasaur," Jason spoke in true wonder. "I mean, Ivysaur."

He looked back to his trainer, and nodded, though it still looked too tired to do much else, and nodded.

"Saur!"

They looked back up to see Logan holding another ball.

As much as Jason wanted to show up Logan using Ivysaur, he knew that wasn't the right move. He returned Ivysaur to the pokéball and switched him out for Raticate. Logan sent out Murkrow.

"Bite!"

"Feint Attack!"

The little crow charged forward, before backing off and throwing a talon for a strike. Raticate bit down on the creature's wing, hard, but it strangely didn't seem to cause a whole lot of pain.

Jason mentally kicked himself. He forgot that moves like Bite were dark type attacks. You can't just assume that all Pokemon have moves of the same type. Murkrow is a dark type too. Of course, it's not very effective.

"Focus Energy!"

"Wing Attack!"

Raticate tanked the hit as he built up energy. It seemed to be struggling.

"Hyper Fang!"

"Wing Attack!"

Raticate launched forward and sunk its teeth into Murkrow's side. The crow ca-cawed itself and passed out, midair. It started to fall into the aquarium.

Jason's heart seized.

"Raticate," he called out, "catch him!"

The creature latched its back claws into the catwalk and reached outward, grabbing Murkrow by its talon. Raticate managed to bring it back safely onto the catwalk.

"What is wrong with you?!" Jason demanded, "Why didn't you call it back?!"

"Tch," Logan shrugged, "Flying Pokemon are worthless anyways. I didn't even want to be in a stupid gym like this. Flying types are a dime a dozen!"

Jason was aghast, horrified. He remembered that he never returned Pidgeotto to its pokéball, and looked down to see that it was indeed still down there; at the bottom of the aquarium. He stared at it until he saw it breathing shallowly.

Jason looked back at Logan with newfound fury. "You're going down," he promised.

"Ooh," Logan put his hands up in mock fear, "So scared."

Jason glanced at Josie, who nodded in confirmation. She turned away to make a call. Meanwhile, Raticate saw fit to drag Murkrow to their side of the catwalk.

Okay, Raticate and Ivysaur are not in the best of shape for this fight. Logan only has one Pokemon left, while he still has six, technically. Furret has taken some hits, and Pikachu, Poliwag, and his own Pidgeotto haven't been touched yet.

No need to drag this out. Let's finish this!

Jason sent out Pikachu, while Logan threw Noctowl into battle.

"Electro Ball!"

"Hypnosis!"

Pikachu threw a ball of pure lightning off the end of its tail, Jason tensed up, eager to end this!

It missed.

Noctowl swooped in and glared at the yellow mouse, purply energy rippling off its eyes. Pikachu swayed from side to side, before falling over: completely knocked out.

Jason switched him out with Poliwag. Maybe he could use a similar trick.

"Zen Headbutt!" Logan called out.

"Poliwag, Hypnosis!"

Now, when he first learned that Poliwag knew Hypnosis, he tried to imagine how the little guy would use it. He thought maybe he would cartwheel and try to use the spiral on its belly to use the move. But no, the purple energy rippled off from its eyes, just like Noctowl.

But not before suffering a brutal hit from the owl. Poliwag skidded back and smacked itself against Jason's leg. Noctowl fell, slumped onto the catwalk in front of them.

"What? No!" Logan complained, "That's the last… How am I supposed to…?"

"You can't," Jason smiled, "You won't."

He turned to his partner. "Use Bubble."

Poliwag blew hard, blowing bubbles. Although, instead of being widespread, they were more concentrated. They battered against the bird, but barely stirred it.

"Huh," Jason smiled. "Guess that's more of a Bubble Beam."

"This is bull-"

"Logan!"

The both of them flinched as they turned to the entrance. An older woman stormed over to the aquarium tank and examined the carnage.

"I am in shock, young man!" She roared. "Your mother sent you here to learn respect, not abuse your partners!"

She turned to Jason and took a breath.

"I'm sorry for my nephew," she told him. "This use to be my gym, my theater. I thought that if Logan learned to take a little responsibility, he would shape up and stop making those awful videos.

"Anyways, here. You've certainly earned it."

She dug in her purse and fished out a shiny badge and handed it to Jason.

"The Cascade Badge," she told him, "Good luck on your journey. Now…"

She turned to Logan with a glare.

"You, young man, are going to start picking up your partners and rushing them to the Pokémon Center!"

Jason thought it best to back away while the two were arguing. Josie joined him and the little tadpole in scurrying out.

"That was awkward," Josie sighed.

"Well," Jason shrugged. "I got the Cascade Badge. That makes three. What do you think, Poli-"

They turned in time to see the bright light leaving a newly formed Poliwag. Its tail had disappeared, and grew two arms which rested at its side.

"…Whirl," Jason finished. "Poliwhirl, right?"

The froggy thing rocked forward, nodding.

"Is it weird that I think its better than before?" Jason wondered.

"Idunnuh," Josie shrugged. "Still not as cute as Diglett. Or Phanpy, for that matter."

"I think the interwebs will disagree with you."

Josie grinned and pulled out her phone, quickly typing out a post.

"You're on."


End file.
